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The first collection of Nyala™ ruby and sapphire jewelry and loose gems was launched to retailers in the United States in February 2004.
Jewelers were impressed. “It's nice to have a ruby that's completely untreated that you can once again talk about as a thing of natural beauty,' says Ron Arends, Sr of Aires Jewelers in Morris Plains, New Jersey, who bought five beautiful examples of the ruby for his store, including one spectacular gem above a carat in size.
His customers are lucky: very few people in the world will ever see an all-natural ruby above one carat. Amazingly, Nyala™ rubies are available up to seven carats in size. Rough that produces natural rubies above three carats in size is discovered about once a month at the mine.
Today, 70 people work at Chimwadzulu Hill, making it the largest operation of its kind in Malawi. The mine now produces about 1 kilogram of gem-quality rough gemstones a month. Income from work at the mine supports 400 people. The company has built a 450-pupil elementary school in the area near the mine to support the education of children in the region.
Thanks to the success of the launch of Nyala™ ruby, Hargreaves, services manager Tom Nijikho, production manager John Banda, geologist Matteus Mwalija, and plant operator Matthew Masunda are now installing a new separating plant that should increase production to 5 kilograms a month, including two kilos of red to pink ruby. That will allow the mine to produce a far greater number of cut gems above a carat each year.
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The largest ruby ever found here was 15 carats, a size ruby which few museums even display. Miners keep their eyes peeled for another record-breaking gem.
Of course, production of Nyala™ ruby is dwarfed by big mines elsewhere. Thousands of kilos of Burma ruby is mined every year but only a very very small fraction is of a quality that can be cut and sold without extensive treatments and enhancements.
The government also hopes that the beauty of Malawi ruby may introduce people from other countries to the beauty of Malawi itself, which has unspoiled beaches, mountains, and national parks that might someday attract tourists from around the world.
As more and more consumers support sustainable development in the third world, gems that can be traced directly back to the place they came from are more and more in demand.
Of course ruby, gem of passion, has been desired for thousands of years. It has long been more valuable and rare in large size than diamonds.
Some large Nyala™ rubies of more than three carats sell for significantly more than $20,000 per carat. Of course, most of the rubies found in Malawi are smaller and more modest in price. In fact, you can find a half-carat Nyala™ ruby for under $500. Knowing that your rare, all-natural ruby contributes to the future of Malawi?
Priceless.
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